NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A growing crisis in the Dominican Republic has now reportedly claimed the life of a 12th American tourist.

Federal officials say a Queens mother’s mysterious death while on a family vacation to the island is part of a disturbing trend in the Caribbean.

“We miss and love my cousin so much,” Kristen Bledsoe said.

A little more than a year ago, Bledsoe was on a flight to the Dominican Republic with her cousin, Donette Edge Cannon. At the time, she never thought Donette, a mother to four children, would never make the return trip home.

Donette Edge Cannon (Credit: CBS2)

“Just shocking I was like, wow this is happening?”

The family says all members of their group who visited the Sunscape Bávaro Beach Punta Cana in May of 2018 felt sick during their stay.

Law enforcement sources tell CBS2 the FBI now has a team in the country to investigate.

The Caribbean nation’s tourism minister however, is disputing any mystery theories.

“All of the deaths that have occurred… the causes have been determined and the results are… there does not exist, there does not exist any mystery as to how they died in the Dominican Republic,” Francisco Javier Garcia claimed.

Garcia even accused the State Department of exaggerating the reports, but Donette’s family have their doubts, no matter what Dominican officials say.

“It was sad and I hope everyone can get answers and they can find out what is causing this issue on these deaths,” Bledsoe said.

CBS2 reached out to the resort company who said that particular resort has changed management since Cannon’s death.